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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cold — not warm
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — a price
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cold — an illness

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com